Alaska Trip – Day 16 – August 28 – Haines: The Zaandam docks

Alaska Trip – Day 16 – August 28 – Haines:
The Zaandam docks this morning at the small Alaskan town
of Haines. Haines has a summer population of 2400 and a
winter population of only 1800. They also have one of the
highest Zip Codes…99827.
Marie and Kal have signed up for a morning
excursion…Takshanuk Mountain Trail by 4x4. Here they
drive four-wheel-drive Kawasaki Mules on a mountain trail
through Tongass National Forest. They later reported that
they had a good time with stops up in the mountain for
good views. They were given a good lunch of deep fried
halibut.
Marcia and I attend a morning computer class covering how
to use Microsoft Photo Gallery to create professional looking photos. We then leave the ship for the first time and walk
into town. It is nice that the Zaandam will be docked at all of our stops on this cruise and we don’t have to “tender in” to
shore.
We are looking for a place in town with free WiFi internet
service. Our ship charges the outrageous rate of 100
minutes for $55, which we are paying, but don’t want to go
over the 100 minutes. We find the “Rusty Compass” coffee
house and Marcia sits down with a hot chocolate and does
her computer thing. I sit outside and chat with the young
owner when he comes outside for a break. He tells me he is
closing up his shop for the season at 4 PM and leaving at 5
PM for college. He was born and raised in Haines and is
going to school at Gonzaga University in Spokane
Washington. He tells me that the Holland America ships, like
the Zaandam, are the only cruise ships that stop in Haines;
one ship a week. The other cruise lines stop in Skagway
instead. An “Old Codger” pulls up in his pickup truck to wish the young man good luck at collage this year. I chat with the
old timer for a while. He’s been a canoe and now kayak guide in the area for 50+ years. As he leaves he tells me his
“motto”: “I am often wrong but never in doubt”. I like it! Marcia and I next walk around more of the small and
picturesque town, where Disney’s White Fang was filmed in 1991, then return to the ship.
In the afternoon Marcia and I go on an excursion to the Kroschel Wildlife Park. After a 45 minute bus ride we arrive at
the park and are greeted by Mario Benassi and his Red Tail Hawk. We learn that he is a master falconer,
cinematographer and naturalist. Then the barefoot Steve Kroschel appears, a noted wildlife filmmaker and naturalist.
We walk through their grounds and they introduce us to their menagerie of wild animals all the while giving us
interesting information about them. We meet their Weasel, Wolf, and Wolverine.
We see a baby Moose and a Red Fox.
I get to kiss the mother Moose and Marcia is able to feed the Reindeer. We see the Marten and the Mink.
I pet Mr. Porcupine and we see the Lynx. The last animal we visit is the Kodiak (Grizzly) bear.
We enjoyed our time at this unique wildlife preserve.
Marcia and I return to the Zaandam and meet up with Marie and Kal for dinner in the Main Dining Room. Tomorrow we
will be exploring in the Juneau Alaska area.
Best, Jim